Studying Sustainability and Connecting in South Africa

Thank you, friends, for the support you gave me to attend the two-week conference in South Africa. I had fun and learned a lot! The one-week workshop covered sustainable farming. We worked in the classroom and outdoors in the garden. I stayed for another week to teach farmers and students of Maharishi Institute on theory and practice.

It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot from the trainers and the participants. I love you wonderful people! Thanks! Philip

Growing plants from collected seeds

OTEPIC members are now propagating seeds in the nursery. From these plants, we will grow our gardens. The plants are healthy and growing well.

We had a "work party" and managed to build a big pile of compost today. We really enjoyed it. I wish you blessings in all of your undertakings.

Addressing Kenya's food crisis on a community level

My country Kenya is in crisis with food and fuel prices soaring and people starving. Through OTEPIC, I hope to bring low-water, organic techniques to my community where traditional approaches to producing food have been lost or are no longer possible. I believe that agriculture can have such profound effects on the environment, human health, and the social order, it is a critical part of any movement toward sustainability. I am looking for financial support for our community demonstration gardens. If you would like to help with our project, please contact me.

Here is a picture of me in the summer of 2008. I traveled from my small village in Kenya to the USA and learned about biointensive farming through my studies and work at the Ecology Action Center in Willits, CA.

I have spent my adult life learning about sustainability. In 2006-07, I worked with the Community Mobilization Against Poverty in Kitale, Kenya, increasing food security in the community by introducing women’s groups and small-scale farmers to farming practices that make efficient use of limited resources, require few external inputs, and protect natural resources, especially soil fertility, for future generations.

In 2003-'05, I studied biointensive farming at the Manor House Agricultural Centre in Kitale and I have worked with the Animal Care Initiative Network to teach humane care and protection of animals and encourage families to nurture their animals and thus themselves.

I hope some day to return to the US to get a degree in sustainable agriculture and then bring my skills and knowledge back to my community.

Rain, planting seeds, buying land

It is raining now, and it’s the best time for women and men in the communities to put the seed in the ground and to nurture it till it matures so that we can have a bumper harvest.

I have been visiting students in several schools and they have formed the Youth CREW (Cultivating Respect for the Environment and the World). I believe that our youth bring people down to earth because they are interested in learning the old, sustainable ways of living used by our grandparents so that our nation and civilization can be built upon a strong foundation.

The good news is that we managed to get 1200 dollars donated from a friend so we purchased land for fully operating mini farms for education, development and research. Because the land cost 3000 dollars, we will need to raise more funding, but in the meantime, we are fencing the land, setting up the beds and starting to make beautiful compost!

Let's pray for each other in all our endeavors. May your harvest be rich and fertile. . .